Grove at Northwest Hills Apartments Austin Review: What $942 Rent in a $500K Neighborhood Actually Gets You

I keep seeing the same story play out with this property. Renter finds a sub-$1,000 apartment in the 78731 ZIP, gets excited about the Northwest Hills address, then calls me three months later wondering why their actual monthly bill is $200 or more above what they expected.

I’ve tracked this property for years. As a licensed Texas REALTOR (License #679806) who works with renters across Austin daily, I can tell you exactly who thrives here and who ends up frustrated. The Grove gives you a real Northwest Hills address without paying what most of the neighborhood costs. But the 1978 construction and a fee structure that residents call “shady” in recent reviews need a closer look before you sign.

Here’s what listing sites won’t show you.

Quick Facts

Two things stand out in that table. First, the zero deposit. That’s unusual for a property this age and saves you $500 to $1,200 that most places around here charge upfront. Second, no published credit score minimum. I’ll get into what that actually means in the screening section below.

Best For / Skip If

This property makes sense if you’re in one of these situations:

You need a Northwest Hills address under $1,000/month. Studios start at $942 and one bedrooms start at $955. A few competitors nearby do start lower (Peaks at NW Hills from $703, Acacia Cliffs from $830). But the Grove’s combination of zero deposit, current concessions (6 weeks free), and the chance to land a renovated unit is hard to beat at these rents in 78731.

If you commute on Mopac, pay attention. Direct access to Loop 1 means you skip surface street traffic entirely. If your job is along the Mopac corridor from downtown to the Domain, this location shaves 10 to 15 minutes off most commutes compared to properties east of 183.

Got a large dog? The 175 lb weight limit with zero breed restrictions is among the most generous pet policies in Austin. Most communities cap at 50 to 75 lbs and exclude pit bulls, Rottweilers, and German Shepherds. The Grove doesn’t restrict any of that. If you own a large or restricted breed dog, check out our list of Austin apartments that accept large dogs for more options.

You’re looking for somewhere quiet. Northwest Hills is surrounded by single family homes, mature trees, and low traffic volume. The area is walkable to HEB, the library, and Starbucks.

Skip this property if:

You need a washer and dryer in your apartment. Many floor plans at the Grove have no W/D connections at all. Some renovated units have full size hookups, and a few have stackable units supplied. But if you land an unrenovated unit, you’re using shared laundry rooms at $2.50 per load. Ask which specific unit you’re getting before you sign.

You can’t deal with neighbor noise. The walls are thin. You can hear neighbors through shared walls. That’s 1978 wood frame construction, and no renovation fixes it.

You expect transparent billing. There are required fees that aren’t obvious upfront, including $50/month in combined trash charges and a $76 “drainage” charge that one resident couldn’t get anyone to explain after four separate attempts.

You need working internet from day one. The property forces you onto their internet provider. It goes down repeatedly each month, and they still charge you. Reviews on several platforms say the bill is $85/month for service that costs $45 if you bought it yourself. You can’t opt out.

Want help figuring out if the Grove fits your situation?

I can tell you whether the screening works for your profile before you spend $50 on an application fee. My service is free to renters.

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Location Deep Dive

What’s Actually Nearby

The Grove is on North Hills Drive, just west of Mopac (Loop 1) and south of Far West Boulevard. Here’s what you can reach on foot:

HEB at Village Center is less than a 5 minute walk. The library on Far West is right there too, and so is a Starbucks. Northwest Hills Village shopping center is 0.3 miles away.

Beverly S. Sheffield Northwest District Park is a 17 minute walk with trails, a pool, sports courts, and picnic areas. Bull Creek Greenbelt is a short drive for hiking and swimming holes.

Trader Joe’s on Great Hills Trail is about 3 miles north. Anderson High School is nearby for AISD families (Doss Elementary feeds into Murchison Middle, then Anderson High). The UT Austin shuttle bus stop is walkable, which is why this property keeps attracting graduate students.

Commute Math

Mopac access is the story here. The on-ramp is practically at the property entrance. Rush hour heading south toward downtown gets congested at the 2222/Mopac interchange, but you’re upstream of the worst bottlenecks. If you’re weighing NW Hills against the North Austin corridor options, you’re closer to downtown from here with less highway time.

Neighborhood Vibe

Northwest Hills is an established residential area. Not trendy. Not walkable in the way Zilker or Mueller is. But it’s quiet, the streets are tree lined, and you’re surrounded by homes worth $500K and up.

Here’s what I tell clients: you’re getting one of Austin’s most desirable addresses at apartment pricing.

The trade-off is that there’s not much nightlife or dining. Far West has basic retail and a few restaurants, but you’re driving 10+ minutes to reach anything comparable to downtown Austin or the Domain. If you want to come home to quiet, this works. If you want your apartment to be part of the social scene, keep looking.

Pricing and True Cost

Floor Plans

*Net effective rent based on 6 weeks free on a 12 month lease (1BR). 2BR uses 1 month free. Select units may get up to 8 weeks free. Confirm current offers before applying.

Net Effective Rent Calculation

Here’s the math on a popular one bedroom (645 sq ft with stackable W/D supplied, fireplace) listed at $1,070/month:

Current special: 6 weeks free on a 12 month lease (for 1BR move-ins within 30 days).

6 weeks = 42 free days. A 12 month lease = 365 days.

Daily multiplier: (365 – 42) / 365 = 323 / 365 = 0.8849

$1,070 x 0.8849 = $947/month net effective rent

That saves you $123/month compared to the listed price. Over a full lease, that’s $1,476 back in your pocket. And here’s something most people miss: the app + admin fee is also reduced right now. Instead of the standard $200 ($50 app + $150 admin), the property is running a $99 combined special. That cuts your upfront costs by $101.

If you’re moving into a 2BR, the current concession is 1 month free instead of 6 weeks. Select units can get up to 8 weeks free. These offers change. Ask the leasing office what’s live for your specific floor plan and start date.

Fee Breakdown

Required Fees (everyone pays these):

Optional Fees:

The forced internet charge (~$85/month) keeps coming up on Google, ApartmentRatings, HAR.com, and ApartmentHomeLiving. Residents say the same service costs about $45 if you got it on your own. And there could be more: one resident found a $76 “drainage” fee on their bill, and another estimated total monthly fees at “$200 to $300.” The full list of required monthly fees isn’t published online. Get a complete fee schedule in writing before you sign anything.

True Monthly Cost Scenario

Here’s what a realistic month actually costs for a one bedroom renter with one pet and covered parking:

That $1,070 listed rent turned into $1,142 after required fees and the usual optional ones. That’s $195 more than the net effective rent you were probably budgeting for. And that’s still before any water/sewer charges, drainage fees, or other undisclosed charges hit your statement. One former resident on HAR.com estimated total fees at “$200 to $300 a month” on top of rent. And if a payment ever posts late because of billing confusion, Texas apartment late fee laws can hit you with even more charges.

Want to know what specials are actually available right now?

Specials change weekly. I talk to leasing teams directly and can confirm what’s live for your move-in date before you waste a trip.

Get Current Pricing

Screening Criteria

Income Requirement

The Grove requires 3x the monthly rent in gross household income before taxes. That’s what their listings say, and it’s standard for this type of property. Call the leasing office at (866) 902-3839 if you have questions about how they verify income or what counts.

They check your income against the listed (base) rent, not the net effective rent after concessions. So even though your monthly effective cost might be $947, you still need to show income against the $1,070 base.

Credit Expectations

The Grove doesn’t publish a credit score minimum. Here’s what that typically means for a property in this age and price range:

600+ credit: smooth approval, zero or minimal deposit (they already advertise zero deposit, so this tracks).

550–599 credit: likely approved but you’ll probably need more paperwork or a bigger deposit.

Below 550 credit: uncertain. Properties that don’t publish minimums sometimes reject lower scores through automated screening. This is exactly where having a locator pre-screen your application before you pay $50 makes a difference.

If your credit score is a concern, the second chance apartments page covers which Austin communities are most flexible and how the process works.

What Typically Gets an Application Denied

The property doesn’t publish exactly what gets you turned down, but for properties at this price point and age, the common reasons are:

Active property debt (money owed to a previous landlord). This is the one screening issue that 99% of communities auto-decline, no exceptions.

Recent evictions within 2 to 5 years, depending on the management company’s lookback period.

Not enough verifiable income. Paystubs, offer letters, or tax returns are standard.

Felony convictions within the lookback period (typically 5 to 7 years for properties in this price range, though crime type matters).

Application Process

1. Apply online or in the leasing office. Bring ID and proof of income.
2. $50 application fee per person. You won’t get this back if denied.
3. Screening typically takes 24 to 72 hours.
4. If approved, you’ll sign a lease and pay the admin fee ($49 under the current special, normally $150) plus pet fees if you have pets.

Here’s what separates working with a locator from applying blind: I can tell you whether you’re likely to qualify before you spend $50 finding out. If the Grove’s screening looks tight for your situation, I know which nearby properties have more flexibility. And which ones will definitely deny you. That pre-screening costs you nothing.

Resident Reviews Decoded

Listing sites show you a 3.6 Google rating and a 3.4 ApartmentRatings score and call it a day. What does that actually tell you? Almost nothing. I read through 170 Google reviews and 265 ApartmentRatings reviews. Then I checked Yelp (23 reviews), VeryApt (4 reviews, 5.2/10), and HAR.com. Individual complaints don’t tell you much. Repeated themes across five different sites do.

Review Pattern Analysis

What Residents Consistently Praise

The maintenance team gets called out by name across dozens of reviews. David, Yusendi, Tania, and Victor on the maintenance side. Karyn, Cade, and Sam in the leasing office. When specific staff names show up repeatedly across 460+ reviews on five different sites over several years, that’s a genuine signal. Not cherry-picked testimonials.

Same day and next day maintenance turnaround gets the most love in reviews. One resident described submitting a work order in the morning and having it resolved before noon, during the holiday season. That kind of responsiveness isn’t typical for a 1978 property.

But here’s what doesn’t add up: ApartmentRatings’ overall staff score is 1 out of 5 stars. Google reviewers praise specific staff members by name. The gap probably means a few good employees (Karyn, Cade, Sam) stand out while the rest of the office is hit or miss. The named staff members are genuinely good. The overall office experience, especially around billing disputes and phone/email responsiveness, is not.

What Residents Consistently Criticize

Pests show up across every site I checked. Roaches, ants, and bugs in reviews on Google, ApartmentRatings, HAR.com, and ApartmentHomeLiving. One Google reviewer wrote that an ant infestation made their unit “completely unlivable.” Another on ApartmentHomeLiving described daily encounters with “huge INSECTS.” Google’s review tags list “pest control” with 5 mentions, and that tag isn’t showing up because people are happy about it.

The billing and fee complaints are worse than the star ratings make it look. Beyond the April 2026 ApartmentRatings complaint about $50/month trash charges, HAR.com reviews put total monthly fees at $200 to $300. ApartmentHomeLiving reviews describe a forced internet provider billed at $85/month (roughly double the direct price) that you can’t opt out of. One resident was overcharged rent for three consecutive months with a monthly fee applied despite having a signed annual lease.

Water shutoffs come up on both ApartmentRatings and Google. Reviews describe water being “shut off entirely multiple times a week” and “every month.” One Google reviewer described it as worse than a refugee camp’s water consistency. This is a plumbing problem that comes with a building this old, and renovation work can make it worse temporarily.

How Management Responds

Management responds to nearly every review, positive and negative. That response rate looks good on paper. But the responses are heavily templated. Positive reviews get nearly identical praise. Negative reviews get a nearly identical “Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention” response without actually addressing what went wrong.

One more thing: the Grove has cycled through multiple management companies over the years, including Cottonwood Communities and Avesta Homes before the current ResProp Management. That history means older reviews may be rating an entirely different team. Weigh the last 12 to 18 months more heavily than anything older.

The Uncomfortable Truth

No listing site will write this section. I’m not trying to kill the deal. I just want you to know exactly what you’re signing up for.

Your Real Monthly Cost Could Be $200+ Above Listed Rent

Here’s the reality. The $942 studio or $1,070 one bedroom you see on listing sites isn’t what you’ll actually pay. Required valet trash ($25/month), a separate trash fee ($25/month), and a forced internet provider ($85/month per resident reports) add $135 before you even get to optional charges. Then there’s the unexplained stuff: one resident found a $76 drainage charge on their bill that nobody in the office could explain after four contact attempts. A former resident on HAR.com estimated total fees at “$200 to $300 a month.” The gap between advertised rent and actual monthly cost at the Grove is among the worst I’ve seen in this ZIP code. Get a complete written breakdown of every required monthly charge before you sign.

1978 Construction Means Thin Walls, Period

The renovation in 2008 updated kitchens and surfaces. It didn’t replace the wall framing. On Google, ApartmentRatings, and ForRent, the same complaint keeps coming up: you can hear your neighbors through the walls. Clearly enough to follow conversations. One review put it bluntly: “you can literally hear everything from your next door.” Another on ApartmentRatings described hearing neighbors’ arguments word for word. This is wood frame construction from the Carter administration. If noise sensitivity matters to you, this is a dealbreaker that no lease special fixes.

You Might Not Get a Washer/Dryer

Here’s the catch. The listing mentions W/D hookups and even supplied stackable units. But that’s only in some renovated floor plans. Plenty of units have zero W/D connections. You won’t know which type you’re getting until you tour a specific unit, not when you browse the website. If you end up in an unrenovated unit, shared laundry at $2.50 per load is your reality. Those laundry rooms are poorly maintained and have no air conditioning, according to reviews on ApartmentRatings. That’s roughly $30 to $50 per month for a typical household, another cost that doesn’t show up in the rent number.

This Property Has Changed Management Multiple Times

The Grove has cycled through at least three management companies: Cottonwood Communities, Avesta Homes, and now ResProp Management. Management turnover means the leasing team you sign with may not be the team handling your renewal. So older reviews (good or bad) may be describing an entirely different operation. The current ResProp team gets praise from recent Google reviewers, but the ApartmentRatings staff score sits at 1 out of 5 stars. Pay attention to that.

Ready to move forward, or want to see alternatives?

You’ve seen the full picture now. If the Grove still fits, I can get you current availability and confirm your screening odds. If it doesn’t, I know every property within a 3 mile radius and their actual screening criteria.

Let’s Talk Options

FAQ

Does Grove at Northwest Hills allow pets?

Yes. Up to 2 pets with a 175 lb weight limit and no breed restrictions. You’ll pay a $300 non-refundable fee per pet plus $25/month pet rent per pet. Pet screening is not required. Vaccination records are.

What credit score do I need for Grove at Northwest Hills?

No minimum is published. For a property this age and price range, scores above 600 typically get smooth approval. Scores in the 550 to 599 range usually need more paperwork or a bigger deposit. Call the leasing office to confirm before applying.

What utilities are included in rent?

Rent covers your unit only. Electricity is your responsibility. The property forces you onto their internet provider at $85/month (residents say this costs about $45 if you buy it yourself). Water, sewer, and trash are billed separately as required monthly charges. Trash fees alone run $50+/month. Drainage and water/sewer charges may stack on top of that. Get the full utility breakdown in writing before signing.

Does Grove at Northwest Hills have in-unit washer and dryer?

Some units do. Renovated floor plans may have full size W/D connections or supplied stackable units. Many original units have no connections at all. Confirm W/D status for the specific unit you’re offered, not just the floor plan type.

What is parking like at Grove at Northwest Hills?

Surface lot parking is included. Covered parking is available for $35/month. The lot is small and crowded, with tight guest parking. One review mentioned abandoned vehicles taking up spots for months.

Is Grove at Northwest Hills good for commuting to UT Austin?

Yes. UT Austin is about 7 miles away (12 minutes off-peak, 20 to 30 minutes in rush hour). A UT shuttle bus stop is walkable from the property, which is a big reason this place attracts grad students.

What’s the lease minimum at Grove at Northwest Hills?

The minimum lease term is 7 months. The current special (6 weeks free on 1BR) requires a 12 month lease and signing within 30 days. Later start dates get 1 month free instead.

How is the maintenance response at Grove at Northwest Hills?

Maintenance is the property’s strongest feature across 460+ reviews on five sites. Residents name specific staff (David, Yusendi, Tania, Victor) and report same day or next day turnaround on requests. The building’s age means things break more often (old plumbing, aging appliances), but the team handles them fast.

The Bottom Line

Grove at Northwest Hills gives you a 78731 address with zero deposit, 6 weeks free, a 175 lb pet policy with no breed restrictions, and a maintenance team that actually responds. That combination is hard to match in this neighborhood, even though a few competitors (Peaks, Acacia Cliffs, The Ridge) advertise lower starting rents.

The trade-off is that you’re living in a 48 year old building where the 2008 renovation is itself 18 years old. Thin walls, pest issues, and a fee structure that adds $135 to $200+/month to your real cost. That’s not my opinion. It’s in the reviews on Google, ApartmentRatings, HAR.com, and more.

This property makes sense if you prioritize location and low base rent over building quality. It also works if you commute along the Mopac corridor, have a large or restricted breed dog, or want zero upfront deposit.

This property doesn’t make sense if you need quiet walls or a guaranteed in-unit washer/dryer. Same if you want billing transparency with no surprise charges, or if you need reliable internet included with your rent.

My verdict: the Grove is a solid value play for the right renter. Just go in with your eyes open about what “value” means here. Run the real math on total monthly cost, tour the specific unit you’ll be renting (not just a model), and get every fee in writing before you apply.

Need Help?

Work With Me

I’m Ross Quade, a licensed Texas REALTOR and apartment locator. My service is completely free to you. I’m paid by the apartment communities from their marketing budgets, not by renters. I can pre-screen your application and confirm current availability and specials. I’ll tell you whether the Grove is your best option or if something else fits better.

Go Solo

If you’d rather handle it yourself, contact the Grove directly at (866) 902-3839 or email groveatnorthwesthills@resprop.com. Office hours are Monday through Friday 9:15 AM to 6 PM, Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM, closed Sunday.Just tell them “Ross Quade from Austin Apartment Team” referred you on your tour and application. Text me at 512-360-0852 when you apply so I can make sure everything’s on track.